Facebook at center of Israel security scandal

Monday, April 14, 2008 |
by Staff Writer

Israeli media has been buzzing for the past week over revelations that members of the security forces privy to sensitive material and locations had been innocently sharing classified information with the world via the popular online social network Facebook.

Young Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers and especially agents working for the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) have, like people in many Western countries, signed up for Facebook in droves.

Unfortunately, in the process of conducting casual conversations regarding their work, the Israelis revealed details of their jobs that could put them in personal danger. Additionally, the defense establishment fears that sensitive locations and deployments have been revealed to Israel's enemies in the many snapshots shared on the site.

Israel's Defense Ministry this week issued an urgent memo to all members of the security forces ordering them to not talk about their jobs on Facebook and to not post photos of a military nature, even those taken at home while wearing their army uniform.

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